The recent death of a Danish student, Ms. Rebekka Tine Lousdal Meyer, 22, has heightened existing concerns regarding the safety of cyclists on the roads of Brisbane.
According to the police, Ms. Rebekka Tine Lousdal Meyer was pronounced as deceased on the scene following a collision at the corner of Stanley Street and Annerley Road in South Brisbane at about 07:45am on 11th September.
She was struck by a semi-trailer travelling in the same direction, and was dragged about 20m by the dog trailer of the truck which killed her instantly. Ms Meyer was a humanities student at the University of Queensland.
Local Councillor, Cr. Helen Abrahams of The Gaba Ward, is disappointed that neither the Minister for Transport nor the Lord Mayor have allocated funds to improve the bicycle safety on the number one hot spot for cyclist accidents, as identified by RACQ in February, this year.
“Data shows that there has been 34 crashes and 14 hospitalizations reported along the Annerley Road corridor, but I’m aware of many other cycling accidents in this area, including one of my own,” Cr. Abrahams said.
“It doesn’t take a safety expert to see that the Vulture Street, Stanley Street and Annerley Street cycling route doesn’t have a consistent approach to bike lanes with the lane widening and narrowing to accommodate cars and trucks,” she said.
“I’ve repeatedly written to the Lord Mayor asking for immediate funding for safety improvements for cyclists along the Vulture Street, Stanley Street and Annerley Road corridor. So far, no real action has been taken to address the cycling community’s concerns and I’m worried it’s because the Lord Mayor and his Administration don’t want to invest in on-road cycling improvements.”
The Public and Active Transport Chairman, Cr. Peter Matic, said that last week’s cyclist incident at South Brisbane was currently under QPS investigation and if required Council would act on any recommendations.
“The Council conducted a road safety review along Annerley Road earlier this year. This review identified a number of improvements to enhance safety, including refreshing line markings, replacing missing and damaged signs, and removing overgrown vegetation. This work has been completed,” Cr. Matic quoted.
“Additionally, Council has made a number of safety upgrades at the intersection of Stanley Street and Annerley Road in recent months, based on feedback from Cycling Queensland,” he added.
“Council has made an unprecedented investment into bikeway infrastructure across Brisbane, $220 million across the last two terms and all of Council’s cycling facilities are constructed in accordance with relevant local, State and Australian Standards. Council has over 1,100km of dedicated on-road and off-road cycling paths and continues to deliver practical measures to increase safety.”
The council’s repetition of this claim on various platforms motivated the co-convener of Brisbane CBD-Bicycle User Group (BUG), Dr. Richard Bean, to conduct an analysis of the data used to underpin this figure, and he concluded that the Council used incorrect and inconsistent approaches to measure the network.
“This issue affects me as a cyclist because the Council is adopting a strategy of appearing to do something and proclaiming that much has already been done, as opposed to actually building the infrastructure or upgrading the quality of the existing amenities. We are dealing with a Council that proclaims a statistic of 1,100 km without taking into account connectivity or quality.” Dr. Bean said.
“ BCC’s annual spending on cyclists is approximately 2% of the total annual BCC transport budget and is only window dressing – all they want to do is throw good money after bad in the futile exercise of trying to deal with traffic congestion by expanding the road network, an approach that hasn’t worked anywhere in the world,” he added.
On 7th September, the Minister for Transport and Main roads, Mr. Scott Emerson, released a media statement announcing the state government’s plan to invest $2 million for the construction of a new cycle path to ensure a safer and more direct connection between Brisbane CBD and the northern suburbs.
Cr. Helen Abrahams said enough is enough, and to address this issue she has called for an immediate cycle safety summit in Brisbane.
“I am aware that the Minister for Transport and Main roads, Scott Emerson, has announced a new cycle- way in his electorate. It is disappointing that neither the Minister for Transport nor the Lord Mayor have allocated funds to improve the bicycle safety on the number one hot spot for cycle safety, as identified by RACQ earlier this year,” Cr. Helen Abrahams said in response to the state government’s plan.
“I have been calling for a Copenhagen style bike lane along Stanley Street for five years. Each year it is one of my top priorities for funding in the annual budget. My requests have been ignored. I believe that the Stanley Street and Annerley Road are the major arterial route for on road cycling in Brisbane as they are the most direct link from the Goodwill Bridge and the Eleanor Schonell Bridge. The allocation of road space should be consistent with the number of cyclists using these roads,” she added.
“We need to get in a room and close the door until Council’s decision makers and south side cycle groups have hashed out a plan to improve cyclist safety along the Vulture Street, Stanley Street and Annerley Street corridor.”
On the contrary Dr. Richard Bean thinks that the Minister’s announcement of $2M to improve connectivity between the CBD and the suburbs is a re-announcement of funding that was detailed in the Queensland Government’s June 2014 budget.
“Cr. Helen Abrahams is genuine in her desire to stop more cyclists being killed – but a summit is likely to suit the BCC administration in being just a talkfest. We just finished having a Cycling Issues Inquiry so the time for talk is over. The only thing that matters now is real action on new segregated cycling infrastructure and road rule changes to protect vulnerable road users,” Dr. Bean commented.
The current building boom in West End and South Brisbane has seen a huge increase in the number of heavy vehicles using local roads. As well as causing noticeable damage to the road surface, they make it far more hazardous for other road users.
While Dr. Bean suggested that restrictions must be enforced on heavy vehicles during peak hours, Cr. Abrahams commented that she was not aware of any existing restrictions on heavy vehicles.
Meanwhile a spokesperson for the Transport and Main roads said “Our Transport Inspectors randomly patrol West End, monitoring compliance and enforcing transport laws, including regulation mass, dimensions and loading. We also act on received complaints from the public but do not enforce council by-laws.”
Finally when Dr. Bean was asked to rate the council’s response to address cyclist issues, he replied “somewhere between head in the sand and callous indifference,” whereas when Cr. Abrahams was asked what the council is doing, she replied “ They have done nothing to date.”
Go Helen, I’m involved in one of the busy cycling stores in Brisbane in that area and we usually find out pretty soon once a cyclist is killed or injured . I may be wrong but I have to say over the last few years trucks seem to be involved a lot when a cyclist dies. I would like to know the statistics for fatal cycling injuries from cars to trucks as I really believe the trucks are mostly to blame. They travel to fast for their size and weight and either don’t give a cyclist enough room to avoid an accident and simply cannot stop in time. One only has to stand at the intersection where Ipswich road meets Stanley street ( Gabba 5Ways )and have a look at some of the trucks that race through and around this intersection.And yes most truckies are great drivers and do the right thing but it only takes a small few inexperienced drivers who can’t drive the rigs they are driving safely and ruin so many lives and families. Two very big solid concrete bollards were only last night smashed from the footpath and sent 15 meters or more along the footpath of that corner from a truck miss judging the corner and the rear of the rig mounting the gutter. If anyone had of been on that footpath last night they would be dead as well. Did the truck driver stop. Absolutely not. Did he know he hit the bollards. He had to know as the sound was like a small explosion. Check the statistics and then decide if trucks speeds through the inner city should be reduce for safety reasons. So they get to there destination 5 minutes late. Big deal. It only has to save one life to be worth it.
Sorry Melissa, I disagree. If the bikes are not visible enough make them wear hi vis vest. If the trucks are not safe enough educate the drivers to drive more safely.
Exclusion fixes nothing in the end. Some trucks are too big for our roads but we don’t exclude them. Drivers drive along texting on their phones but they lose 3 demerit points and are not excluded for being idiots.
But talking about excluding cyclists from roads they have ridden on since the roads were first build years and years ago.Isn’t that discrimination ? Road rules are there to protect all and if the rules aren’t good enough then change them so everyone is safe. Cyclists are protected in many countries in Europe as most governments there see the benefit of a bike as real affordable transport which Australia is progressing into. But here in Australia we know better ? We are so smart here we want to exclude or ban the bicycle. Any Australians who think excluding bicycles is the best outcome needs a reality check because there is a good chance we aren’t the smartest country in the world or are we saying all the European countries are dumb and should exclude the bicycles as well. They have been doing it longer and better than us for so long so lets assume when it comes to bicycles they are smarter and they know what they are doing and here we just need to catch up with other countries in the 21st century.
Difficult and quite tedious to make a right turn using the footpath. Much safer generally for a slower moving cyclist and worth considering. As Rebekka is Danish she was most probably more used to roads where vulnerable users are better considered. I think this is an another example of our city council and student providers failing foreign students. They take their money and leave them to fend for themselves in a city which I’m sad to say is a hostile and often violent environment.
keep push bikes out of traffic and they will be safer.
the problem is there is no through access for people on pushbikes to all locations, unless you go on the road. Vehicle operators should be more careful of other road users. Next you will be telling me that motorcycles should be banned cos they get hit by cars
i have worked on the new England highway and i have seen bloody pushbikes holding up klms of traffic cars b doubbels ectect you just cant see them little things at 4 am out bush on a old highway there a danger to every road user and them selves.
are you going to tell me there is not enough space for the white car to move over, away from the bike lane?
im talking about highways that are 6 meters wide in places with potholes all over them,where road workers fear to tread you get bloody pushbikes
Are these riders locals getting around? Bunches of riders out doing long routes or solo touring riders? Sounds like the road having a consistent shoulder would sole the problem. Feedback of workers like yourself out there would benefit planning decisions I think. I just volunteered on a cycle touring event which saw 700ish riders travel between small QLD towns. Where there was a consistent shoulder there were far fewer traffic issues. These riders brought a huge boost to the towns they visited but so too can the steady drip of smaller numbers of riders.
Bike and horses were here long before cars and trucks and they don’t kill anyone, are good for the environment, don’t take up car parking space and free up congested roads so the cars that are on the road move more freely and also help Australia stay off the podium for being one of the most obese countries in the world .Remember what exercise is like and you lose weight and feel good ? And almost all bike uses pay taxes just like everyone else and when the oil runs out you’ll be glad bikes are still around. You just don’t know it yet. Come on Kurt you can’t possibly be that narrow minded ?
Road bikes are not allowed on highways in QLD this is a residential street debate cars need to slow down and share the road
People on bikes are a legimate part of the traffic especially in the city where them being on a bike and not in a car helps reduce the volume of traffic so making it potentially smoother flowing. This depends on them having consistent routes to follow though.
Agree Daniel. Banning bikes ? Let say approximately 500 cyclists commute down Wynnum road to the city which would be accurate and we take all those bikes of the road and put those commuters in cars.
Then your going to be later for work because cars create traffic not bikes. A bike breaks down or has an accident and they are on the foot path getting it sorted . Car breaks down and its ciaos for km after km.
My hovercraft comment was for you Kurt!
You’re a fool
Yeah, like hovercraft they could fly over buildings.
I have been hit there, luckily it was at low speed and I did more damage to the jerk’s car than he did to me. I was in the designated cycling lane right in front of the Mater, when this ass in a 4WD Lexus came in to my lane and knocked my handlebar. When I got up to the traffic lights to head down into southbank he started abusing me for hitting his precious car.
this is from google maps street view. Notice the white vehicle on the right’s position?
and the bike is where??
irrelevant. You see that solid white line there? The one that bounds the bike lane clearly indicated in green?
Here is the intersection where Rebekka was killed. I took this the next day. There is her ghost bike with the flowers on it, and there are two cyclists in the same position that she was the day before. Sharing an uneasy joke no doubt. Where are you going to go, what are you going to go? In rugby it’s called a hospital pass, though in this case the person never made it.
Anyone ever see a cyclist hit a car or truck and kill the driver of the vehicle ?
Lets recall the last three cyclists deaths I know of this year.
1. Where Annerley road goes under the freeway overpass. Truck driver forgot about the height of his truck and hit the over pass which is on an angle so the truck rolls left onto the cyclist and kills him.
2. Lady at Carindale killed riding on the left is hit by a boom from a truck which the truck driver forgot to attach properly before driving off and the boom swings around wide of the truck.
3. And the latest fatality above with this girl cyclist who was stationary at the time when the back of the truck hit her.
I’m not saying cyclist are angels but those three deaths mentioned above are all this year and all could have been avoided if the drivers just remembered to turn their brains on before getting behind the wheel of something that can kill.
I got 2 cars and one bike which I hardly use but I would like to think I could go for a ride without worrying death as the normality when riding a bicycle.
Couldn’t agree more. We make so many allowances for these noisy, polluting behemoths to barrel through our inner city streets, yet those who choose to cycle (and typically cause no harm to other road users) are constantly blamed. If a pedestrian was killed, would people see it as their fault?
By law, bicycles are legitimate vehicles and cyclists have the right to use the road like any other vehicle. Brisbane needs to get with the times and fix this god-awful excuse for infrastructure we have, for the benefit of everyone.
Can you afford to drive your car if petrol prices rise to $5 a liter ? What could possibly put the price of petrol up to $5 a liter ? Ah Gee maybe a big war in the Middle East.
Don’t kill off the bicycle just yet as you all may need one in the future.
Bikes and heavy cars just don’t mix. Let’s create a network of separated cycling infrastructure. I want to ride places with my family and kids and this is just not possible yet. The sooner we start the sooner we get it done. That poor poor girl has had her life taken… Let’s not dishonor her memory but doing nothing.
My Husband rides and he tries to take the bike paths but pedestrians can be dangerous too as they often run/walk with headphones on and are oblivious to riders too. So it may help but it also may not. I guess we all need to accept that pedestrians and cyclist on roads have right of way if riding/walking safely.
European countries like Belgium have been riding bikes through their big cities from the very beginning.
The law in Belgium is if a motor vehicle kills a cyclist while the cyclist is riding in a designated cycle lane it is an ” automatic jail sentence ” as their law assumes the motor vehicle and driver is in the wrong. No doubt this law is a very big deterrent used to make the drivers more aware of what they are doing and protect the cyclists.
the truck that killed this girl had a bull bar (shiny) about as high as a street sign, totally unnecessary in city traffic, probably couldnt even see her because of it.
I was stopped in the traffic yesterday right next to where it happened, the shrine of flowers is growing, makes you sad for her, especially because it happened in daylight and should have been prevented; its the bicyclists I encounter while driving every night of the week without lights (or minimal blinking excuses for lights) without helmets, and on the wrong side of the road coming at you invisible, who are a real worry. Considering the number you encounter, and I drive 12 hours a night, it is seriously a wonder more bicyclists are not hit – fluoro clothing should become mandatory for nocturnal bicyclists for their own safety. Some people cant get it in their heads that they are not visible at night even if they have that dopey little blinking on-blinking off- light; they are not good enough and could cost someone their life.
I was there and witnessed the whole thing. She was at the lights and the next second she was gone. That truck was far too big for that corner and as a result an innocent girl was killed. It was horrible. Fix the intersection and surrounding areas so we do t see something like this again. I know I won’t stop seeing it in my mind.